Parental Involvement and the Implementation of STE Program in Public Schools in DepEd SOCCSKSARGEN Region

In response to rapid technological advancement, Science, Technology, and Engineering (STE) education has become a strategic priority for national development and global competitiveness. In the Philippines, the Department of Education (DepEd) has implemented the STE program in selected public secondary schools to develop scientifically and technologically literate individuals who are highly responsible, morally upright, globally competitive and work-ready. While progress has been made in curriculum design and teacher training, the role of parental involvement in program implementation remains insufficiently studied. Guided by Epstein’s Theory of Overlapping Spheres of Influence and Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Systems Theory, this study explored the relationship between parental involvement and the implementation of the STE program in public schools in DepEd SOCCSKSARGEN Region. Employing a descriptive-correlational design, data were collected from 329 purposively selected respondents, including principals, STE teachers, and parents from the pioneering STE schools. Survey using Likert-scale tools evaluated both parental involvement and the STE program implementation. Findings revealed a high level of parental involvement (M = 3.31, SD = 0.64), particularly in learner motivation and participation in STE-related activities. Similarly, program implementation was rated high (M = 3.62, SD = 0.46) in terms of student admission and retention, and curricular and co-curricular involvement. However, challenges in infrastructure and parent-school communication were noted. Although overall parental involvement is not significantly related with the overall program implementation (r = 0.070, p = 0.666), specific dimensions such as involvement in curricular and co-curricular activities (r = 0.302, p = 0.015) and partnership-building (r = 0.394, p = 0.001) were found to have significant positive relationships with program success. These findings indicate the significance of strategic parental involvement in enhancing STE implementation and emphasize the need for enhanced communication strategies and improved educational infrastructure to sustain long-term program success.